Heart of America (across the great divide) is the outstanding new album from Donnie Munro. It contains some of the finest work from Donnie
to-date, with a mixture of songs including some new gaelic songs written by Donnie. Out now on the Greentrax recoding label, no Scottish music collection will be complete without a copy of this album.

Listen to small samples of each track by clicking on the Play link.
You can purchase the album online if required - visit the Greentrax's website at www.greentrax.com

This is what Donnie has to say regarding the album -

‘It is always good to get back into the recording studio to work through all the ideas that one finds emerging along life’s way. All songs are promptings, reactions, soundings, route maps on a journey that so often seems embedded in the landscape, culture and relationships of early childhood.

Track 1 - Heart of America (6:24)
Written, after a journey across the US with my family, at the height of the Iraq war, through the heart of "flag waving" America, the dusty little highways, the political pageant of the Democrats convention in Boston. I felt deeply of a country of contrast and contradiction. Sharon Springs, the old hotel, Ellis Island reception centre, the hope of a new life and the white chalked cross marks of despair on the jackets of the rejected children - an amazing human story and somewhere, in the midst of it all, is the heart of America

Track 2 - Strangers to the Pine (5:45)
A song on which I worked with friend and founding Runrig member, Blair Douglas. The song is a reflection on the historical links between Skye and Prince Edward Island and a celebration of the courage and fortitude of the early emigrants who made new lives for themselves and their families in the US and Canada. We performed it during the centenary celebrations on Skye.

Track 3 - Winds of Our Time (4:04)
Treaslane village, the starting point for so many of my thoughts and journeys- times change, good and bad but always leading back to where the heartbeat first began

Track 4 - A’Coiseachd Tràth (Walking Early) (5:31)
A reflective song written in memory of Josie McGoff, who brought so much light into our world. I worked on this song with guitarist Richard Macintyre who, during the course of its development, lost his grandfather, John Nicolson and so the song then became much  more than a shared musical experience.

Track 5 - Mo Chruinneag Bhòidheach(My beautiful young girl) (1:37)
I recorded this song after performing a version with singers Iain MacKay, James Graham and Arthur Cormack during the Scottish Men concert at Celtic Connections 2006. I enjoyed the all-male rendition and decided to record this particular version.

Track 6 - Where the Roses (2:57)
This song is dedicated to two young boys, Jamesie Williamson and ‘Flounder’ in whose company I was fortunate to have spent some time on a car journey north. They were of Travelling people and I was deeply moved by their passion and commitment to a distinctive culture and a way of life which struggles for survival against the conformity and prejudice of a modern world.

Track 7 -Cha Till (I will not return) (3:43)
I wanted to write a Gaelic song from the point of view of someone who had left their homeland, not with a sentiment of regret but with the defiance and belief in another time coming, a new hope for the Gael.

Track 8 - Raglan Road (5:24)
A beautiful poem by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh. I first heard it sung many years ago by Dick Gaughan and I have wanted to record it ever since.

Track 9 - Mairead Òg (6:13)
This is a wonderful Gaelic song which I have recorded previously in different form. I was moved to record this particular version, largely due to having had the opportunity of working with the great Scottish saxophonist, Fraser Fifield. His soprano sax just seemed to take it somewhere completely new

Track 10 - Love will never die (3:38)
Expectation, hope, disappointment and loss, joy, fear, and faith and through all things a love that never dies

Track 11 - Harvest Wind (4:29)
Stacks in line and the buzzing of bluebottles against the whitewashed gable end - gnarled hands mend the nets of a summer filled with hope and expectation.

Track 12 - October Song (4:50)
A wonderfully poetic song which I first heard performed by the Incredible String Band.